Wrong
by TokioDoll
Summary: When Haru turns black and hits Rin, she goes to a certain family doctor for comfort, but will he accept her? rated for lemon.
1. Chapter 1

**HulloHullo, Toki here!**

**I'm a horrible person for not finishing my other story first, but this has become to tempting.**

**So I present to you *dumdumdum***

**THIS SITE'S FIRST RINxHATORI FANFICTION EVER!**

**disclamer: I dont own Furuba. D:**

* * *

Rin staggered along the wooded path that led to the main house. She clutched her stomach as she dragged her feet, trying to continue her journey. She paused as she heard footsteps behind her, and a distressed "Isuzu?!" That echoed through the woods. A pair of arms reached around her, pulling her into an upright position.

"Isuzu?" She looked up at Hatori, who she was now leaning against.

"Tori-nii?" She asked, squinting. The woods were getting dark. Or maybe it was just her vision clouding.

"Isuzu, are you okay?" He looked at her, his fair face filled with concern.

"I-I'm-" She paused, a familiar sensation welling through her body. "T-Tori-nii!" She whimpered, and vomited all over Hatoris suit shortly before passing out.

!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i

Rin awoke to the quiet scratching of pen against paper. She shifted in the unfamiliar bed, and slowly opened her eyes. The room was completely dark, excepting a small lamp on a desk, illuminating Hatori's face, which was staring intently at a piece of paper as he scribbled things onto it. He looked up, and met her dark gaze.

"How are you feeling?" He asked, putting down his pen.

"Fine." She turned away, humiliated to be seen in such a weak position.

He got up from his grey chair, and walked over to the bed that she was laying in. He sat on the edge of her bed, and placed a single hand on her forehead.

"Why were you trying to get to the main house?" He asked, annoyance seeping into his voice. "Don't you live at Kagura's now? Don't you know that Akito would love an excuse to hurt you?"

"Why do you care? Don't pretend that you care about anybody other then Akito and your stupid ex-girlfriend." She spat angrily.

Hatori said nothing, and just glared at her. "Shut up." He said, his voice full of anger.

Rin looked away, realizing she had gone too far. "Sorry." She whispered.

"So what were you doing?" He said, checking her heartbeat with a stethoscope. She gasped at the sudden contact with the frigid metal. "Well?"

"I wanted to ask Gure-nii something." She said, playing with the blanket that covered her legs.

"Isuzu... He knows nothing. Stop trying to free Haru, it's not happening." He placed the stethoscope on her back. "Breathe deeply."

"It's not about him anymore," She replied, ignoring his request. "It's over. I don't care for him anymore." She looked at Hatori. "It's for all of us."

He smirked at her. "Really?"

"Nobody deserves to live like this. This pain...isn't fair. We should be able to be normal. To live as we wish." She looked down at her hands. "To die as we wish. With whom we wish."

"...You really don't love him anymore?"

"He hit me, Tori-nii. I really ended it. It's that simple."

Hatori froze, looking up at her. "He hit you?"

"I thought Gure-nii would have told you. We were talking in Gure-nii's house, he wanted to get back together. we started arguing, it got pretty heated, and he punched me a couple of times. He would've hit me more, but Yuki-kun came in and beat him bloody." She sighed. "He was black, but still..."

"That bastard." He whispered darkly.

"Tori-nii...It's fine, I'm over it..." She said softly.

"How long ago was this?" He inquired, placing his stethoscope on the bedside table.

"yesterday."

"Where did he hit you?"

"My stomach."

"How hard?"

"I dunno..."

He reached down, lifted up her shirt, and swore.

"What?" She peered at her stomach and gasped. Black and blue bruises blossomed across her normally fair skin. A scratch stretched across them, scabbing over.

"That idiot gave you internal bleeding." He murmured. He brushed a hand across her tender flesh. "I'm calling a hospital, and paying a visit to Hatsuharu."

* * *

**Short first chappy, but it's to give you a taste of what this fanfic is going to be like. :3**

**Reveiws are loved, remember to**

**Click**

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	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket**

**Let the story begin! Enjoi!**

* * *

Rin sat in the bed as Hatori dialed the number for the hospital.

"I hate hospitals." She reminded him.

"Trust me, I know. But if this has been like this for an entire day, you've lost a lot of blood." He placed the phone to his ear, and began speaking to whomever was on the other end. Rin leaned back into the pillows on the bed, and glared at him.

"yes, as soon as possible." He said calmly into the receiver. He hung up, and looked at her. "Please don't give the hospital staff problems."

"Whatever." She mumbled.

"Can you walk?" Hatori came over beside the bed.

Rin pulled back the covers, and noticed she was wearing a pair of blue pajamas. "Tori-nii..." She said angrily.

"Dont worry, I had one of my nurses do that. And I'm your doctor, I've already seen you naked."

"Yeah, when I was like, two." She turned around and placed her feet on the floor. "And I don't want you seeing me naked when I'm passed out. It's... weird." She attempted to push herself off the bed, and staggered on the spot. Hatori reached around and steadied her, but she still fell back onto the bed.

"Okay then." Hatori picked her up gently. Rin glared at him, but said nothing more as he carried her out to the car. He placed her into the passengers seat, and went around to the other side of the car, letting himself in.

"Tori-nii..." She murmured.

"What?" He asked her, concentrating on the road.

"Do you know how to break the curse?" She asked.

"No." His grip tightened on the steering wheel. Rin turned away from him and gazed out the window. "Isuzu...Shigure told me what you offered him when you came over to ask him."

Rin reddened. "So? What about it?"

"you shouldn't be doing that. Do you honestly think that it's okay to offer your body to other people? You'll end up hurt."

"It's okay for it to end with nothing in my hands." The rest of the car ride was silent, and Hatori went in to get a wheelchair, rather then carry her into the hospital.

* * *

"We're going to have to put you in surgery to sew up the holes." The doctor explained. A nurse jabbed an IV into Rins arm as the doctor talked. Hatori observed this all from a distance.

"Will I have to stay in the hospital after that?" She asked him.

"Only for a two days, just to monitor how you are doing." He informed her. "But we need to get you into surgery now, you're losing blood as we speak. Your doctor told me you threw up blood not too long ago."

"Yeah."

"Okay, here's another doctor. He's going to give you a gas mask, and you're going to have to take some deep breaths. If you would just lay back on this bed..."

The second doctor passed her a mask, and strapped it over her head. She took a breath, and almost instantly felt drowsier. "Where's tori-nii?" It suddenly became very important to her to find out where he was. He walked over.

"Just take some deep breaths, Isuzu."

Rin reached out to grab his hand. "Don't...go away....okay? Stay with me...." She slurred.

"Relax, Rin." He took her hand. "Sleep."

She closed her eyes, and fell into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

Rin awoke hours later in a hospital bed, being pushed down a hallway. Everyone was talking, and people were being to loud.

"shut...up!" She moaned. It felt like she had a hangover.

"We're almost to your room, sweetie." The nurse informed her. Rin suddenly looked around, alarmed.

"Where's Tori-nii!?" She asked.

"Your doctor? He went to get some food, he'll be back here in a bit."

Rin moaned. "Can I leave now?"

"In a day or so. The surgery was fine. We're just going to have to give you a few blood transfusions." They turned, and entered a small room. "And here we are." She announced. "Now try to get some sleep, and here." She passed Rin an oddly-shaped dish.

"What's this for?" She asked.

"A side affect of the gas we gave you is nausea and vomiting. There's a button right here," She pointed to the remote attatched to Rin's bed, "If you need me. Now get some sleep." The nurse flicked off the lights and shut the door.

Rin drifted off again, waiting for the gas to wear off.

* * *

Hatori got into his car, and drove to his destination: The main house. Where Haru was currently residing.

He stormed down the hallways of the house, and all of the maids steered clear of him. It was rare that Hatori would get angry. He finally arrived at the door that was Haru's room. He did not knock, simply strode in, to find Haru sitting on his bed, staring out the window. Hatori closed the door behind him, and awoke Haru from his daze with a swift slap.

Haru turned to look at him. "So Rin told you....is she okay?" He asked.

"What is wrong with you!?" Hatori shouted at him. "You never, ever hit somebody whose been have stomach ulcers in the stomach! What were you thinking!?"

"I...guess I wasn't thinking." Haru dropped his head. "But she's right. I mean, last time she dumped me, it was because of Akito. Because she didn't want me to hurt. But this time...I guess it's because I moved on. I don't love her like I did. I catch myself looking at other girls... and I think I was just so used to her that I was blinded. I love her.... but I guess we don't belong together anymore."

Hatori glared at him. "If you ever lay a finger on her again... I'll be back."

"Tell shihan she's in the hospital. He'd like to know." Haru told him. "It hurts her to be at Kagura's. See if he'll give her a home."

"Fine." Hatori walked to the door.

"And tell her I'm sorry." Haru said.

Hatori nodded, and shut the door behind him.

* * *

**Well, that's it for the second chapter! :D**

**I just had to get some closure with the Haru thingy. It was so hard for me to break them up, I'm a HaruxRin fan too, but I had to find a way to break them up without either of them seeming like terrible people. :)**

**I hope you liked! Please reveiw! 3**

**flames are used for heating my soba and udon! **


	3. Chapter 3

**So...here is chappy three!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket!**

**and please remain patient...the lemon is coming soon!**

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Rin was awoken by the gently squeak of the door closing. She opened her eyes to see Hatori walk into the room, and collapse on a chair next to her bed.

"Tori-nii?" She asked him.

"You're awake? That's good, I'll get a nurse." He made to stand up, but she reached over and grabbed his hand.

"No...stay with me." She murmured, and scooted over so she was closer to him.

"Isuzu...?" He asked, confused by her actions.

She lay down in her bed, still gripping his hand. "I don't like to be alone in hospitals. They scare me." She whimpered.

"Oh...." He reached over and gently stroked her hair. She sat up, and leaned closer to him. His hand trailed down her back, and down to the base of her waist. She leaned into him, and not knowing what he was doing, Hatori pulled a hand from Rins grasp, and cradled her face with it. Their lips met, and Hatori licked hers, asking for entry. She opened her mouth, allowing his tounge to enter her mouth.

"Tori-nii..." She moaned, running a hand down his chest. It trailed down to his waist, and stopped at the waistband of his pants. He removed a hand from her face, and pushed it up her shirt, running it along her heated flesh. She pushed her hands down his pants, and into his boxers. Hatori's eyes suddenly snapped open, and he pushed her away, and staggered backwards a few feet.

"Isuzu!" He spluttered. "No. I am not going to do this."

"What!?" Rin protested. "Why not?"

"Not only are we in a hospital, but I am ten years older then you, you just had surgery, and...well, it's just wrong!"

"You enjoyed it." She pointed out.

Hatori glared at her. "Kazuma-san is going to come visit. I'm going to go get some sleep." He stormed out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

* * *

Rin sat on the bed, still angry about Hatori's departure when Kazuma walked in.

"Hello Isuzu. So you've landed yourself in the hospital yet again." He sat down on her bed.

"It wasn't my fault this time." She growled at him.

"So I've heard. I was going to have a chat with Haru, but it seems Hatori beat me to it."

"I hate Hatori!" She said, crossing her arms.

"Do you? It seems he's taken a liking to you. He talks about you an awful lot."

"Really?" She asked, looking at Kazuma.

"Whenever you're at my house, he always calls to see how you're doing, if you're eating right..." Kazuma informed her.

"That's his job." Rin grumbled.

"He's never done that with any other of the Zodiac members." Kazuma pointed out. "Even when Kyo had that horrible bout with the flu."

"Well...I don't like Hatori." Rin said, glaring at the wall.

Kazuma sighed, and folded his hands in his lap. "Hopeless..." He sighed.

Rin looked out the window. "I hate Kagura's house."

"n? And why would that be?" Kazuma inquired.

"It's to perfect...too happy...it's agony to be in a family that's not broken..." Rin murmured.

"ah...." Kazuma looked out the window thoughtfully. "I suppose there is nothing I can do to help you with that, except offer my home to you. I could use somebody to help me with the cooking, although I'm going to be gone for the next week, so the house is going to be locked." Kazuma looked at his watch. "I have a class soon, I have to be going. Try to get some rest, and don't hurt any of the nurses." He pat her on the head, and strode out of the room.

* * *

Hatori entered his room, dropping his shoes by the door. He turned on the shower, setting it to 'cold', and began to undress. The only thing on his mind was his younger cousin. He had to admit, he had always wondered what it would be like to screw her, but she was unattainable. Aloof and taken, he had no chance with her. Until now. She was curvy and well-endowed, and definitely somebody Shigure would go after in his mabudachi days.

He stepped into the freezing water, trying to wash himself of his dirty thoughts. Shigure was supposed to be the pervert, not him. So many reasons they shouldn't be together, and yet...

she was due for a gynecological exam. That thought hit him hard, and despite what Rin had said, the last time he had seen her naked what a year ago, after which she started skipping checkups. He couldn't help but get angry with himself. How was he supposed to do that without getting a boner? Maybe get a nurse to do it... He turned off the shower, and stepped out of it, wrapping a towel around his waist. He ran a hand through his raven hair, and sighed. He had to accept it.

He wanted to screw his younger cousin.

* * *

**O_O**

**tori, you PERVERT!**

**:D**

**ah, well I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'm going to try and get the actual lemon in the next few chapters. This chapter just had some zest. **

**Remember to reveiw! :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry for my extended absence, some things came up!**

**I'd like to alert people to the fact that in this story, Rin is unaware of the fact that Akito is a female.**

**enjoi!**

* * *

Rin leaned back in the bed, feeling dirty. She couldn't help it. After being used to sex daily, her body wasn't ready for the withdrawal from Haru's body. She was horny, she reasoned. So she had tried to come on to Hatori...

"Disgusting." She said to nobody in particular. The adjective echoed around the room. She wasn't referring to Hatori in particular, in fact, she found him rather attractive. It was actually the attraction that she found so repulsive. No, not even repulsive. Twisted. Just as she had felt with Hatsuharu. It was even worse this time, in a relationship fueled by lust. '_can you even call it that? A relationship?'_ she wondered to herself. But she knew that part of the reason she found him so incredibly sexy was because he was impossible. He belonged to Akito, just another one of his pawns. And yet...

She closed her eyes, remembering the feeling of his hand, trailing down her back, stroking her hair. Forbidden love was sickeningly sweet, and here she was, tossing herself into a position where she might once again be vulnerable to such a thing.

* * *

"Reaaaaaally?" Shigure cried, astonished. "You almost slept with RIN?"

"Must you say it so loud?" Hatori growled at him, wondering why he even told Shigure in the first place.

"Just... well... I'm suprised you beat me to it!" Shigure laughed.

"I though you might even act like an adult this time, but I suppose that I over-estimated you." Hatori ran a hand through his hair, thoroughly annoyed.

"Really though, 'Tori... she's like a younger sister to you... same with Ayaa and me." Shigure pointed out.

"I know, I know. She's called all of us -nii ever since she was little. She's just..." Hatori trailed off.

"Grown up." Shigure finished for him. "Filled out ...hey, is that incest?"

Hatori stood up. "I see you can't be mature about this. I'll be on my way."

"Awww, 'Tori, you're no fuuunnnn!" Shigure whined.

"You only seek to infuriate me. I'll remember this the next time you need a shot." He stepped into the garden and slammed the paper door.

He walked away from the house briskly, bumping into Kyo.

"What are you doing here? Is somebody sick?" He demanded.

"No, simply paying a visit to Shigure."

Kyo narrowed his eyes at Hatori, but said nothing more, simply brushing past him. Hatori sighed, and walked over to his car. Go to the main house, take care of Akito, eat, sleep, wake up, check on Akito, eat, do paperwork... his days were empty and boring, and his life was becoming barely a life at all. Could Isuzu possibly fix that? Hatori sighed again, and unlocked his car.

* * *

Rin buried her face in her hands, listening to her own slow, steady, breathing. It was slow, repetitive, and stable. How could something so stable belong to somebody so...willy-nilly? Rin snickered at her own use of the word, but there was really no other way to describe it. She heared a gentle knocking on her open door, and looked up, peering through her fingers.

"Oh."

The nurse smiled widely at her. "Well, dear, you should be able to go home tomorrow." She said, glancing at Rin's IV, and checking something off on her clipboard.

"...home?" It struck Rin that the only place she had to go to was Kagura's house, seeing as Kazuma was going to be away.

"It seems you have no gaurdian written down, you'll need somebody to pick you up from the hospital, though...do you have anybody that you can stay with? I would not encourage living alone in your fragile state."

"Yeah..." Rin nodded.

The nurse handed Rin a clipboard, and Rin quickly scribbled down a name, address, and phone number. The nurse took back the clipboard, and glanced down at the number."Well, we will give them a call, and we will ask them to come pick you up tomorrow."

Rin nodded and lay back down in the bed, shutting her eyes.

* * *

Hatori sat down at his desk, filling out forms so Kagura could be on the track team at school. Hatori sighed, and lay his head in his hands. He had spent most of the previous night lying awake, thinking about Rin, and how to fix this problem he had created. The most obvious answer was to avoid her. He would have to give the hospital a call to let them know that he would no longer be visiting. As he reached for the phone, it began ringing. He shrugged, and picked it up. It was probably Shigure planning on harassing him.

"Hello?" He sighed.

"Hello, this is Nurse Shiromaya, calling regarding a 'Isuzu Sohma'. Is this Hatori Sohma?" The woman on the line asked.

Oh. Oh no. She wouldn't dare.

"This is Hatori, yes." He replied, holding back his anger.

"She is to be checked out at 10:00 AM tomorrow. Please pick her up and the front of the hospital." She informed him.

Hatori slammed down the phone. He hadn't thought Rin would do this. It didn't work into his plans. It was what he wanted, but what he knew was bad for him. He was like an addict, informed of the consequence, yet forever seeking his fix. This wasn't fair of her. She had gone way too far, and Hatori was pissed.

* * *

Rin shivered as she waited outside the hospital. It was a cool november morning, and the blanket the nurse had draped around her was doing nothing to protect her from the cold.

"Are you okay, dear?" The nurse inquired.

"I'm fine!" Rin snapped at the nurse. Rin was a little on-edge, because she didn't know how Hatori would react when he came to pick her up. She was starting to regret the stunt she had pulled earlier, with writing down Hatori as her current caretaker. She was attracted to him, but how far could they go before things get too out-of-hand?

A blue car pulled up at the hospital, one she immediately recognized as Hatori's car. He got out of the car, glared at her, and started talking to the nurse, discussing her diet. He then wheeled her over to the backseat, rather then the passengers seat where she usually rode. He shoved her into the car rather roughly, and she knew she was in trouble this time. The anger was almost radiating from him. He climbed into the drivers seat, and slammed his door a bit harder then usual. He started the car and began driving, his knuckles white with fury. Rin sat silently in the back of the car, preparing for the worst. The anger she was feeling from him right now... it was the sort of anger her father was before he beat her bloody, or the sort of anger Haru was feeling when he hit her, or even the sort of anger Yuki felt when he found Haru pinning her to the wall.

"T-Tori-nii." She murmured gently.

"Don't talk to me right now." He said, his voice forcefully controlled.

"But Tori-" She started.

"I said don't talk to me!" He said, losing the control he had over the tone of his voice. Rin scooted into the far corner of the backseat. She had never seen Hatori this angry. In fact, the only time she had seen him somewhat annoyed was when she accidentally kicked him while he was giving her a shot. They arrived at the main house in silence. Hatori got out of the car, and went around to her door to help her out. She stumbled out, a bit of the drug still affecting her muscles. He grabbed her arms a bit more forcefully then he normally would, and took her into the house. He took her to his own little portion of the house, where he had a nicely-sized apartment. He then let go of her, and walked over to his desk, getting back to work. Rin sank into a wooden chair stationed near the door, fidgeting in the uncomfortable silence.

"Kagura's mother will be coming to pick you up in two hours." He explained from across the room, his voice controlled.

"Okay." Rin said softly, glad that he had calmed down a bit.

"Why did you do this?" Hatori asked, honestly curious.

"Because... because I _like_ you, Tori-san." She replied, adding a suggestive tone to the 'like'.

"Isuzu..." He sighed, and then realized something. "Why did you call me 'san'?"

"Because if I say 'nii', then it would seem really wrong if we had sex." Rin explained.

Hatori almost laughed at how blatant and straightforward Rin was. "Isuzu, it would be really wrong if we had sex either way." He sighed.

"Wrong is just the way I like it." Rin said, walking slowly over to him. She climbed onto his lap, staring seductively into his eyes. She licked her lips, and Hatori involintarily moaned, feeling himself grow hard.

"Isuzu, please don't do this. It won't end up well for either of us. You don't want this." He said, trying to convince both her and himself.

"I don't want it. I need it." She whispered into his ear, and stroked his crotch. Hatori gave in, and picked her up, pushing the health forms on his desk onto the floor, and laying her down on the wood. She smiled, glad to finally get what she had been waiting for.

"Just warning you," Rin smiled at him. "I'm good at this." She grinded her hips against his.

"Just letting you know," Hatori licked his lips. "I'm probably better." With that, he reached down, reaching up her skirt and rubbing just where he knew she was sensitive.

"Hatori..." She moaned, arching her back. Hatori smiled, and stripped off the skintight cami she had been wearing. Under that was a see-through black lacy bra, which Hatori made short work of.

"You're agressive." Rin observed, before moaning and twisting beneath his body as he rubbed her breasts. Hatori just smirked, and rubbed harder. Rin could feel herself getting wet, and she could see that he was equally turned on. She reached for his belt, but he slapped her hand away, still concentrating on making her squirm. She reached for the buttons on his shirt, but he smacked her hand away from there too."Why?" She whined in spite of herself.

"I want you completely naked before I take anything off." Hatori ordered, pulling off her black miniskirt, and noticing that her black panties were soaked with her wetness. He could feel himself growing harder, but he wanted to make her beg before he did anything to her. He straddled her legs, and began slowly rubbing her crotch through the thin cloth of her panties. She whimpered, wanting more. She reached for his belt buckle, but instead of being slapped away, she felt her arms being pinned above her head with one of his hands, while the other one continued to rub her slowly.

"Tori- this is agony..." She moaned.

"I want to hear you beg." He whispered into her ear. Her eyes widened. Hatori had never struck her as the kind of type that would talk dirty. He smirked at the suprised expression on her face, and began slowly pulling down her panties.

"Hurry up." Rin moaned.

"You asked for it." Hatori shrugged, then Rin heard cloth ripping as he literally tore the bit of fabric off of her. Rin lay on the desk, her long black locks spread across the oak wood as she gazed up at Hatori. He reached a hand out and stroked her face, before going back to rubbing her with his fingertips. She narrowed her eyes at him, annoyed that she wasn't getting to have any fun. She lifted her hips slightly, and rubbed herself against the obvious erection. He closed his eyes for a moment and moaned, just long enough for Rin to get herself free, and push him onto the chair next to his desk. She straddled him, and began undoing his belt. Hatori placed his hands around her face and forcefully kissed her as she rubbed him through his boxers. She broke the kiss and looked into his eyes for a moment before getting off of his lap.

"Rin... what are you..." His question was answered as she got down on her knees and licked the tip of his hard member. "Ahhh... Rin..." He moaned, as she continued to lick and suck. He grabbed her hair with his hands as she slid her experienced tounge up and down. She looked up and him, knowing that he desperately wanted control of the situation. He looked down at her as she stopped moving her head. He smiled, and pulled her onto her feet, slamming her against the wall opposite the chair. Leaning against the wall for support, she hooked one leg around Hatoris waist, and then the other. She pulled off his shirt, and he looked into her eyes for a moment before slamming into her.

"Tori- ah!" She gasped. He was bigger the Haru, and she could feel the difference. He began pumping, slowly, dragging it out. "Please--- Tori..." She whimpered. He complied, moving faster. She moaned, and he pulled her off the wall and pushed her into the bed, all the while still pumping. She yelled, dragging her nails down his back as he came.

"Rin..." He pulled out of her, collapsing onto the bed. "Oh, Rin...." He sighed.

"What now?" She asked him, pressing her naked body against his. He got up suddenly.

"Put your clothes on." He ordered, picking up his shirt and pulling it on over his head. "This is never happening again." He stood, facing the wall.

"...Okay." Rin dressed quickly, and they both stood their awkwardly. She picked up the tattered lace that was her panties, and stuffed it into her pocket. She heard the familiar sound of tires against gravel, and Kaguras mom knocked at the door. Hatori answered it, and the two of them talked, Hatori telling her about what to do with her. Kaguras mother motioned for her to follow."Bye... Tori-nii." She waved.

"Isuzu..." He said, nodding. Kaguras mother couldnt help but notice Rins disheviled look, and wonder what had gone on between the two of them. The bed and desk were a mess... no....

"Come on, Isuzu." Rin followed her, stealing one last glance at Hatori.

"Coming."

* * *

**Uh. Yeah. There is is.**

**ITS FOR YOU GUYS! THE READERS!**

**sorry about my absence of about a year. I had the sudden need to continue this story.**

**Reveiws, ja?**


	5. Chapter 5

**I'm really bad, aren't I? That was a rather extensive period of time where I didn't write. Sorry guys, midterms are demanding. :[**

**anyways, enjoi this chapter!  


* * *

**

Rin lay down on her bed, staring at the ceiling. She was... unsure of her feelings at the moment. The torn panties were hidden at the bottom of her trash can, and she had taken the shower and a pill the second she got home. She liked the feeling of her naked body against her sheets. Some warm wind blew in through her window, and she enjoyed the sensation of it playing across her damp skin. It was an odd sort of after-sex tradition she hadn't taken part in since her relationship with Haru. It was comforting, in a way, to have something so steady in her life. It was a way to refresh herself, to feel clean and perfect even after some rough, dirty sex. To feel normal.

She rolled over as she heard a knock at the door, rolling her eyes. She pulled her towel on and crossed the room, opening it to see an overjoyed Kagura. "Hey." She said, to exhausted to even protest the boars presence at her door. She left her door open, a sort of invitation for Kagura to enter. Kagura gasped this immediatally, closing the door and sitting on Rins bed, bouncing up and down.

"Hey!" She said, annoyingly perky as ever.

"What do you want?" Rin asked, going through her dresser for something to wear.

"You don't seem all mopey, and you're back from the hospital. Why're you so... not mean?"

"I could be mean." Rin offered, ignoring the question.

"Oh, well, I don't mean... but anyways, why are you so happy?"

Rin glanced over at Kagura, wondering about her choice of words. _'Happy? Is that what I am... yes... I suppose I am somewhat happy.'_ Rin decided.

"I had hot, kinky sex with Hatori." She announced to Kagura, knowing full well that she wouldn't believe her. Kaguras happy expression immediatally dissapated, replaced by annoyance.

"You could at least trust me with the truth." She huffed, leaving the room and slamming the door behind her. Rin smiled, picking out a black dress Haru had bought with her. She remembered picking it out, how Haru had fingered the lace on the bottom, and how when she exited the dressing room and twirled for Haru, he had bought it immediately. He liked the way the fabric hugged her breasts, and the way the lace just ghosted her upper thighs, both suggesting at and hiding her butt. She looked at it for a moment, before burying it at the bottom of a drawer, determined to ignore the reminder of all she had had with the white-haired boy that she had loved. _'Had loved... I don't even know how I feel about him now.'_ She picked a long black skirt and a tight purple tank top, pulling the flimsy cotton over her head. She would concern herself with that later. For now, trivial things were all she felt like worrying about.

* * *

Hatori rested his face in his palms. He was disgusted with himself. It wasn't just the age difference that bothered him. While 10 years apart '_she's not even legal!'_ made it bad enough, it had to be the added problem that he had just had sex with one of Akitos most hated zodiac, and he was supposed to be loyal to Akito. He went into his bathroom, turning on his shower and stripping off his rumpled clothing. He realized that his buttons were uneven. No wonder Kaguras mother had given him that look. That gaze that told him that she knew, that she understood what the two of them had done. And yet she had said nothing. She had simply taken Rin home, glancing over her shoulder at him in that accusing way of hers. As though he was a child with his hand stuck in the cookie jar... no, a child with cookie crumbs all over their clothing. Proof that he had done the forbidden.

He stepped into the hot water, allowing himself to be drenched and washed clean. He couldn't help but think of Rins perfect body, of how she had moved over him as they did what they wre not supposed to do. He felt a familiar tingling sensation running up his thighs and down his abdomen, and tried to resist at first, turning the shower water to cold. But his mind was filled with her peircing, sexual gaze, her perfect breasts, and his hand found his member _'I haven't done this since high school'_ and began pumping his fist up and down, moaning as he thought of Rins perfect body. He let out a final groan as he came, releasing in hot, thick spurts onto the shower floor. He quickly cleaned it up, ashamed at his need to jack off because of a thought or two.

_'I hope this isn't going to be something I'm going to have to do regularly.'_

_

* * *

_**Yes, yes, A short chapter. ****I wanted to get it out to you guys nice and quick. Not much action in this one, just more showing the state of things.**

**Review, please! I'll get to work on the next one soon. I hammered this all out in a night for you guys when I realized how neglected this story has been. :]**

**hopefully another chapter soon!  
**


	6. Chapter 6

**I'm so sorry you guys. D:**

**I hate it when writers dump stories, and here I am, dumping a story with potential!**  
**So I have returned in the hopes that I will not, once again, ditch this story.**

**Let's go!**

**

* * *

**Rin woke up the next morning, opening her eyes slowly as the sunlight streamed in through her window. There was a familiar soreness in her abdomen, and her back hurt slightly as well. She walked over to the full-length mirror nailed to the bedroom door, pulled off her nightgown, turned so her back faced the mirror, and looking over her shoulder to assess the damage. Light bruises decorated her shoulders and lower back. Nothing serious.

She walked over to her dresser, wondering what she would do that day. Maybe lie around. Maybe pay a visit to some people. Her mind wandered to Hatori.

_'Should I...? No. I don't want to get him any more angry. Things might be weird with us. I should give it a couple days.'_

With that, she pulled on a tight purple tank top, a skirt that any mother would be horrified to see her daughter wearing, and a pair of sheer black stockings that reached mid-thigh. She threw on a jacket after that, remembering that it was rather cold out. She then walked into the bathroom she shared with Kagura, brushing her teeth and running a comb through her hair.

_'Today... I will visit Gure-nii. I know there's something he's not telling me.'_

She paused, placing the comb on the counter next to the sink. In all of this drama with her injuries and Hatori, she was forgetting what was important. Breaking the curse.

'_I have to stay away from the main house for a while. Akito might get suspicious.'_

Rin knew that Akito hated her. This was a fact she accepted a while ago. It was even possible Akito hated her most of all the zodiac. What with the resembelance to his mother, and the way she defied him...

She shook her head, trying not to concentrate on thoughts like that. She had to stay focused.

She ran downstairs, reaching into the closet by the door for her favorite pair of heeled knee-high boots. She pulled them on as she walked out the door, intent on talking to Shigure.

_

* * *

_

While Rin was waking up and getting dressed, Hatori had already been awake for a while. There was a particular dillema he had in mind; weather or not to call Shigure and discuss with him what had gone down the previous evening. No doubt Shigure would be immature about it, but then again, Shigure did seem to stop kidding around when it came to Rin, who had been like a little sister to him for the longest time.

_'Shit.'_

It had not occured to him yet that Shigure might be angry with him for what he had done with Rin. But now that the thought entered his mind, it was obvious. Although Rin was never entirely aware of it, Shigure cared about her. He was actually rather suprised when he found Shigure looking through the few baby pictures he posessed of her one evening. Shigure had sworn Hatori to secrecy, but ever since then, Hatori was sure that Rin mattered a lot more to Shigure then it seemed. Even though Shigure had laughed previously when Hatori had informed him of what happened in the hospital, he could detect a hint of anger beneath Shigures joking exterior.

He buried his head in his hands. Of course Shigure would be angry with him.

_'I have to go... I have to go talk to Shigure. In person.'_

He got up, pulling on a jacket and heading out the door.

* * *

Rin ran up the steps to Shigures house, struggling to pull off her boots as she leaned against the wall outside his front door. Shoes finally discarded, She walked into the house, where she put them beside the door.

She jumped as she heard a door slide open.

"Hello, Rin." She looked up to see Shigure smiling at her, leaning against the wall. "You know, I tell you every time that I know nothing, and yet you-"

He stopped as he felt a pair of thin arms wrap around him. Rin was hugging him, and rather tightly.

"What... Rin, I can't breathe." She pulled away, and now that he looked closer, there were tears in her eyes. "Rin, what happened?" His voice took on a serious tone.

She shook her head. _'Why... why am I acting like this? I need to get information, and here I am breaking down. Gure-nii should know. I should tell him.. but...'_

She froze and stiffened as Shigure suddenly returned the hug.

"Rin, why are you crying?"

"Gure-nii, I did something stupid... and, and I don't know if I regret it or not because..." She paused, and buried her head in his kimono. She breathed in his scent, instantly comforted by the familiarity of it. "Gure-nii, I-"

She stopped as she heard the front door open behind her.

"Shigure, we need to-" Hatori froze as he looked up, noticing Rin grasped in Shigures tight embrace. Rin and Hatori stared at eachother for a moment, before Rin shoved Shigure away and bolted. She ran out the door, slamming it behind her and flying down the steps. It was only after she had left that Shigure noticed that she had forgotten her boots by the door.

"Really, what a bother." He said, rubbing his face. "She was worked up about something."

"That's... That's what I need to talk to you about." Hatori said, taking off his shoes and placing them by Rins discarded boots. "Can we talk in your office?"

"Yeah... sure." Shigure stepped aside, allowing Hatori to enter the room before walking in himself and shutting the door behind him.

Hatori sat down in one of the armchairs by the wall, while Shigure plopped down in his usual seat.

"Shigure, I slept with Rin."

Shigure stared at him for a moment. "...I see." His hands were clenching into fists on the side of his chair, his knuckles becoming white.

"You're angry at me." Hatori correctly interpreted.

"I am. You took advantage of somebody I care very much about." He clasped his hands together, and looked over at Hatori. "How did it happen?"

* * *

**I know that it's short, but I felt like that would be a good leaving-off point. **

**Please review so, if anything, I don't forget to write more. ;._.  
**


	7. Chapter 7

**Another chapter. **

**Enjoi.**

* * *

Rin only stopped her sprint when she was a good distance away from Shigure's home. She placed a hand over her heart, holding onto a tree as it pounded against her sternum. She sank to her knees in the dry leaves that carpeted the ground, gasping for air. It had been a while since she had ran, and even being possesed by the spirit of an animal built for durability and strength while running did not make up for the fact that she was malnourished and out of shape. She rested her forehead against the tree, inhaling its deep and earthy scent. She froze as she heard footsteps behind her, and slowly pulled back from the tree to look over her shoulder at who it was.

Yuki.

"Rin, what are you doing here?" He rushed to her side, ignoring her need for personal space. He reached out a hand to rest on her shoulder, and she flinched. Even around other Jyuunishi, the reflex to avoid allowing other people to touch her when she wasn't prepared stuck with her.

"Sorry." Yuki withdrew his hand, placing it in his lap as he kneeled beside her. "Are you okay? You look pale...and where are your shoes?" He leaned forward, and she glared at him through the dark curtain of her hair. "Haru... Haru feels terrible about what he did. He-"

"I'm not going to accept any apologies." Rin looked down at a leaf that had landed in her lap, avoiding Yuki's gaze. "He knows what he did was unforgivable. I doubt he'd want anybody to apologize for him."

"...Okay." Yuki stood up, walking away through the leaves.

"Yuki!" She called after him, and he stopped, turning to look at her.

"Yes?"

"I- I guess I should thank you for pulling Haru off of me." She looked over at him, but still didn't meet his gaze. "Thanks for that."

He smiled at her gently before turning away. Rin sat there until the sound of the crunching leaves faded away.

"Thank you." She whispered, closing her eyes and resting her forehead against the of the tree.

* * *

Back in Shigure's office, Hatori had just finished up explaining how what had happened had come about. Shigure was leaning back in his chair, stairing out his window at the near-bare trees. Winter was coming.

"You've messed things up quite a bit, Ha'ri."

"I guess I have." Hatori took a drag from the cigarette held between his fingers.

"Mm, and she might have actually been making headway in breaking the curse."

"What?" Hatori's eyes widened.

"I've been trying to loosen the bonds. The way she's getting hurt, she's pulling away from Akito, and pulling Hatsuharu and Kagura away along with her." Shigure glanced over at Hatori.

"She's your pawn." Hatori said, comprehension dawning on him.

"Not really a pawn, but she's able to reach the Jyuunishi that I can't. I'm trying to pull away, loosen the curse a little more, see how it'll change... her injuries are making the Jyunnishi that know about them distrust Akito-san more."

"Shigure, do you mean to tell me she doesn't actually mean anything to you?" Hatori asked him quietly.

"She means very much to me, Ha'ri. But if I have to sacrifice her to find a way to end this curse, I will do it."

"Sometimes I wonder if you care about anybody."

"I care about myself." Shigure chuckled darkly. "I... I just want this curse to end, Ha'ri." He sighed. "And it's breaking. The zodiac rooster has been turning into a sparrow for as long as anybody can remember, and Kureno is free. And what with you turning into a seahorse... it's been a long time since all of the Jyuunishi have been alive at the same time. It's the final banquet, Ha'ri, can't you feel it?"

"Why don't you tell Isuzu all of this?"

"Well, I don't want to take away her motivation. I've been pulling Jyuunishi away... quietly. If she does it, she'll draw attention to what I've been doing."

Hatori stubbed out his cigarette. "I suppose. I really should get going."

"Ha'ri."

Hatori looked over at him. "Yeah?"

"I'm not going to tell you to stay away from Rin-chan. Just... be careful. You know how Akito gets when somebody messes with her favorites."

Hatori stared at him for a moment before nodding, getting up, and exiting the office. As he pulled his shoes on, a familiar silver-haired boy stepped through the door.

"Yuki." Hatori nodded in greeting. "How have your lungs been?"

"They've been good, thank you." Yuki pulled off his shoes, and then turned to the exiting doctor. "Hatori-san?"

"Mhm?"

"...Is Rin doing okay?" He asked. "I ran into her in the forest earlier, and she looked kind of sick. I know that after what Haru did to her, she might not be feeling the greatest, but-"

Hatori placed a hand on Yuki's head. "She'll be fine." He told Yuki with a sad smile, and left.

Yuki sighed, and looked back at the door. Something was off. He looked beside the door, and noticed the tall boots that he normally saw on a pair of slender legs.

'_So that's where her boots were.' _

He shook his head. It was best to not get caught up in whatever Rin was doing. He turned away from the discarded shoes, trying to push them out of his mind as he went up to his room to get started on homework.

* * *

It was much later that evening when Shigure heard a door slide open, and the obvious sound of somebody trying to be quiet as they walked accompanying the pitter-patter of rain and the sound of Tohru in the kitchen. He got up with a sigh, walking out to the foyer where he saw a rain-drenched girl with inky black hair reaching for her boots.

"Rin-chan."

She jumped, and looked up at him.

"You're dripping on the floor."

She glared at him, pulling on a boot.

"Ha'ri told me what you did. Is that what you were upset about earlier?"

Rin froze, and then peeled off the boot that she had been pulling on. "What do you want?" She demanded.

"I want you to be careful. Akito i-" He stopped talking as Tohru appeared.

"Isuzu-san, you're soaking wet!" She ushered the horse inside before rushing to get a towel. Rin accepted the towel silently, first drying off her hair before moving on to her face and shoulders. "Isuzu-san, will you stay for dinner?"

"Stay." Shigure said. "We can't have you going out in the rain when it's this cold out, not in your condition. Or would you rather go to the hospital again?"

Rin flinched at the mention of the hospital. "I'll stay." She told Tohru quietly. Tohru nodded, and went back to the kitchen, where she continued to prepare food. After making sure Tohru was out of earshot, she turned to Shigure. "Why did you want me to stay?"

"I want to make sure you don't go to Ha'ri's tonight."

"I wasn't going to go there anyways." She mumbled.

"All the same, what you did with him has... bothered him some. He's worried, and you should be too. What about Akito? First Hatsuharu, now Hatori? If Akito finds out, I wouldn't be suprised if he tried to kill you. I have my suspicions about how you fell out that window-" Rin flinched- "and what good are you to me if you're dead?"

She narrowed her eyes at him. "How do you know about that?"

"Hatori told me about Hiro running to get him, and little Hiro isn't as skilled as you or I at hiding his emotions." Rin looked away. "People don't just fall out windows, Rin. I thought I taught you better then that."

"What, to get in Akito's way?" She snapped.

"No." He smiled at her. "To lie. Although avoiding getting in Akito's way might be nice too."

Rin sighed, struggling to dry her shoulders and back. Her injured shoulder had messed with the muscles in her arm, making it so holding her arm a certain way made it hurt.

"Here, let me do that." Shigure said, taking the towel from her hands. She leaned against him as he dried her shoulders and the back of her neck. He draped the towel over her head, and leaned forward so he could wrap his arms around her. She jumped in suprise at first, but then snuggled against him.

"You hug like a Jyuunishi." She said, her voice muffled by the towel that obscured half of her face.

He smiled. "You know, even though it doesn't seem like it, I care about you. It kills me to see you hurting yourself like this. I remember when you were younger, how happy you were. Ha'ri and Ayaa and I, we tried to watch out for you. Watching you grow up... and knowing what your parents did to you, and knowing that we couldn't do anything about it... it was difficult. It drove Ha'ri crazy, knowing that all he could to was patch you up and send you right back to what was hurting you so much." His grip tightened on her. "And now you're hurting still. Sometimes I regret teaching you to lie."

Rin didn't reply. They stayed like that for a while, holding eachother. Physical contact was rare for any Jyuunishi, and so it was savored. loud footsteps approaching broke them out of their embrace. Rin pulled away first, stumbling as she tuggled the towel off her head. Kyo slowed as he walked into the room, looking suspicious. Rins face was bright red, and she didn't look at Kyo at all. Shigure simply smiled, and walked over to his office.

Kyo stared after Shigure for a bit, and then turned to Rin. "Shihan wanted me to let you know that he was back early if you were looking for... a place to stay." He said, bitterness leaking into his voice. Kyo couldn't help it, he was possessive of his foster father.

Rin nodded in reply. "I'll stay there, then." She looked over at Kyo. "Don't be immature, I'm not going to steal him from you."

Kyo glared at her, but her reassurance that she was not looking to take Kazuma away from him made him feel somewhat better about the situation. They stood there for a moment longer, until Tohru called to them, alerting them that dinner was ready.

* * *

By the time they had finished with dinner, the rain had picked up, now pouring down. Lightning was flashing across the sky, and thunder shook the entire house. Rin was sitting by the window, watching the storm and wondering how she was going to get back to Kagura's house. The same thought seemed to go through Shigure's head, and he walked over to her, placing a hand on her head. "Maybe you should spend the night."

"This was your plan all along." She said, still gazing out the window.

"Not especially. It was more along the lines of waiting for the rain to lighten up, and then making Yuki walk you home."

"I can still walk home."

"In your state? Anyways, these woods aren't very safe at night for a girl like yourself all alone."

"Yeah, because a pervert is sitting out there in the rain, waiting so he can attack me." She said sarcastically.

"Even so, I'd feel better if you'd just stay."

"Gure-nii, are you getting soft?" She asked. The question went unanswered, and Shigure turned to let Tohru know that they would be having a guest that night. Rin continued staring out the window, ignoring the bustling that was going on behind her. She had stayed at Shigure's house before. And not just this one, even. Back when he still lived at the main house, she stayed over at his house a few times when the beatings got particularly bad. He couldn't have been much older then she was now, but he would dress her wounds and wrap her in blankets, and hold her until she fell asleep. She missed the innocence back then, how she could sleep in the same bed as him without worries of what anybody else would think. Her parents would always be angry the next day when Shigure returned her to them, but her overnight visits were often ignored, due to her parents fear of angering Akito, especially having Akito's anger directed at them.

"Just like old times." Rin said softly.

"Not exactly." Shigure said, a twinkle in his eye. Rin jumped when she realized he had been standing next to her. "After all, I can't exactly take you into my bed now without suspicion."

She glared at him. "Don't get any ideas, Gure-nii."

"And risk the wrath of Akito? No thank you." He laughed. He gestured over to the corner of the room, where a futon was laying. A pillow, a blanket, and a neatly folded white yukata sat on top of it. She recognized it from the one she had worn the last time she had stayed at Shigure's home. She got up, and Shigure placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Sleep well, Rin-chan." She nodded. "It's okay if you leave a light on." He stroked her head once before turning to go to his office. She made sure he was gone until she changed into the yukata. She flipped off the lightswitches, leaving on a small lamp in the corner of the room. She nodded off slowly, comforted by the scratching of pen coming from Shigure's office.

Shigure waited until Rin's breathing slowed to a steady sigh before picking up the phone and dialing Hatori's number.

"What do you want?" Hatori's gruff voice greeted him, obviously annoyed at being bothered at such a late hour.

"I wanted to let you know that Rin came back after you left." Shigure heard the sound of a squeaking mattress on the other end. Hatori had obviously been sleeping.

"Nn? Is she okay?"

"We didn't really talk about it. She's less closed off about people touching her now, though. Maybe she's just feeling affectionate."

"What happened?"

"She hugged me earlier, and I hugged her later this evening without scaring her. Kind of like how she was when we were younger."

"Things were different then."

"She mentioned that today, you know. 'Just like old times.' Back when she used to sleep over, do you remember that?" Shigure smiled at the memory. Although her bruises were always cause for sadness, she would always smile at him after he bandaged her up. Her smiles were so rare now.

"I recall your parents being unhappy about it. Her parents didn't like it much either." Hatori said, joining in on the reminiscing.

"Have you seen her parents recently?" Shigure asked.

"Around a week ago, actually. They don't live by the main house anymore, not since Isuzu stopped living with them, but they still live near the Sohma estate. I saw her father."

"Was it hard?"

"What?" Hatori asked, fully aware of what Shigure meant.

"Seeing him. Without saying anything."

Silence. "I need sleep, Shigure. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Goodnight." Shigure said.

"...Goodnight." Hatori replied.

Shigure hung up the phone, his heart heavy. He hadn't thought about Rin's parents in a long time, and it irritated him knowing that they still lived so close by, walking around like what they did to Rin was okay. Everybody knew what they did, so why were they being treated so normally? Shigure rubbed his eyes. It was rare that he got annoyed, but thinking about or talking about Rin's parents was a surefire way of getting him worked up. He yawned, getting out of his chair with the intention of heading for bed.

He stepped lightly as he exited his office, trying to avoid waking Rin. Her long hair was splayed across the pillow, and she looked peacful in her sleep. Maybe tonight there would be no nightmares. He shut off the light from his office, and then headed to his bedroom, his mind still on the her as he lay down to sleep.

* * *

**I updated. 3**

**As always, reveiws are loved.  
**


	8. Chapter 8

**:D**

**Ready?**

**Here we go!~**

* * *

Rin jumped up, a gasp escaping her lips as she awoke. Tears were streaming down her face, and she tried to cry as silently as possible. The sky outside was streaked with the colors of dawn, and she could hear movement coming from Shigure's office. She wiped up her tears as best as she could, got up, and made to join Shigure in his office. She slid open the door. Shigure was sitting at his desk, typing away. His glasses were perched on his nose, and Rin inwardly smiled at how mature he looked.

"Come in, you're letting all the heat out." Shigure ordered. Rin stepped into the office, closing the door behind her. A small space heater sat by Shigure's desk, warming the room. It was only then that Rin realized how cold she had been. Rin sat down in the corner, leaning against a chair. The click-clacking of Shigure writing was a peacful noise, and Rin watched the sun rise in the windows behind Shigure's desk as he worked. It was only when the sun was peeking over the treetops that Shigure hit a final key, cracked his knuckles, and leaned back in his chair. Rin glanced over to see the small pile of paper that had accumulated. Shigure then spun around in his desk chair, turning to look at the sun.

"It's going to be a nice day." Shigure remarked.

"Yeah." Rin stretched, yawning as she did so.

"Tired?" Shigure asked.

"Not really." She said, twisting a lock of hair around her finger.

"You look like crap." He said, smiling at her.

"Mm, thanks Gure-nii." She stifled another yawn.

"You didn't eat much last night."

"You know how I feel about eating in front of other people." Rin said quietly. Shigure nodded.

"You're going to have to take better care of yourself now, if you intend on avoiding Ha'ri."

"Wha- Who said I was going to avoid Tori-nii?" She said, glaring at him.

"Oh, so you ran out yesterday for no reason when he came in?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I hate you, Gure-nii." She said, crossing her arms. He smiled slightly at this. He opened his mouth, about to say something else, when Rin's stomach growled loudly. Her face turned bright red. Shigure chuckled.

"Let's go see what there is for you to eat in the kitchen." He got up and walked over, offering his hand to her to help her get up. She ignored the offer, instead pulling herself up using the chair next to her. Shigure shook his head. "Stubborn as always. Come on, I'm hungry too."

* * *

After breakfast and last-minute goodbyes from Tohru ("Feel better, Isuzu-san! Come back again!"), Rin set off, first heading toward Kagura's house. She hated the feeling of wearing the same clothes two days in a row, and intended on changing the second she got back to Kagura's.

She walked into the house quietly. It was a weekend, which meant Kagura was most likely sleeping in. It was always best to let Kagura sleep. She was less annoying that way. She pulled off her boots quietly, and then made her way up to her room, stripping off her socks as she went. She tugged on a corset-style shirt that laced up the front, struggling to prevent her hair from getting caught in the laces. Once that was done, she tugged on a pair of thigh-high stockings and yet another short black skirt.

As Rin walked back downstairs she clasped a choker around her neck.

_'Ready to go.'_ She pulled on her previously-abandoned boots, and set out for Kazuma's home. She knew the walk well, due to her frequent visits. Kazuma's house was one of the few places she felt she belonged. Ever since she had woken up in the hospital to find him standing over her, his presence had always comforted her slightly. She came upon a small gravel road, which she knew lead to the Sohma compound. As she crossed, she heard a familar voice.

"Shigure, don't call me anymore." Rin looked up, seeing a familiar car, and an even more familiar man leaning against it. He looked up at the same time, and they both stared at eachother for a moment. Hatori noticed that familiar twitch in her muscles that signaled she was about to break into a run.

"Isuzu, don't!" He said, jogging over to her. "We need to talk." He put a hand on her non-damaged shoulder. She looked away from him.

"About what?" She kept her voice steady.

"About what I- what we did." He said, his grip on her shoulder firm, prepared for if she tried to run away.

"Tori-nii, you don't have to hold onto me like that. I'm not going to run."

"I know." His grip loosened slightly, though. She looked up at him, and then she bolted. He reached out, grabbing her around the waist and pulling her back to him. "That was extremely immature, Isuzu." She said nothing, but stopped struggling against his hold. He wrapped his other arm around her. Rin was glad her back was to him, or else he would've seen the light pink her cheeks turned.

"Can we talk?" He asked her. She nodded.

"Okay." Rin said quietly. They stood there in silence for a moment.

"Why... why did you let me do that?" He asked her.

"Tori-nii, don't blame yourself." She looked up at him. "I was the one who... initiated it."

"I shouldn't have gone along with it! I'm supposed to be the responsible adult, it was my fault!" He said, anger and frustration leaking into his voice.

"I- I didn't mind what we did." Rin said quietly. Hatori stiffened. "I liked it. Tori-nii, I like how you make me feel."

"I'm not here to pleasure your body." Hatori said coldly.

"No, I-" Rin struggled to find the words. "I don't _hurt_ when I'm with you."

"I- Isuzu..." Hatori said, at a loss for words.

"Don't you feel it too?" Rin said softly. Hatori turned her around in his arms.

"I feel it." He murmured. He placed a hand on her chin, pulling her face towards his, slowly allowing their lips to meet. Rin was suprised at first, but she melted into the kiss, standing on the tips of her toes and wrapping her arms around his neck. His free hand held firmly onto her waist, pulling her against him. He held the kiss for a moment longer, before pulling away gently.

"Mm...Isuzu..."

"It'll be a secret." She whispered.

"You're beautiful." Hatori kissed her again. He made to pull away, but Rin held on.

"Can we please stay like this for a little longer?" She said quietly. He looked surprised, but he nodded, keeping his hands on her waist as she pressed herself against him. She eventually pulled away. "I like being with you." Rin told him.

Hatori smiled slightly. "It's good to hear somebody say that."

* * *

That day, Rin never did reach Kazuma's house.

She instead stumbled into Hatori's home, tugging his shirt off as he closed the door behind him. Clothing was stripped off in a rush as they reached his bedroom, and Rin was lifted onto Hatori's bed. His lips found hers, and she nipped lightly at his lower lip. Hatori stood there for a moment, admiring her body before climbing on top of her.

"I'm glad I put you on the pill." He told her, chuckling slightly. She licked her lips.

"Make love to me." She requested. He leaned down, kissing her gently before cupping a breast in his left hand. He ran his thumb over it, and she moaned. She could feel Hatori's member pressing against her leg. She sat up, rolling over so Hatori lay against the bed. She straddled him, rubbing her hips against his. She pulled up a bit, preparing to take him in, but Hatori stopped her.

"Not yet." He rubbed a hand against her crotch, and she shivered at his cold hands. She moved against him, feeling herself adjust to his finger in her.

"Tori-nii..." She whimpered.

"Didn't you once say it sounded wrong when you called me that?"

"Doesn't... doesn't matter..." She thrusted harder against him, and he pulled his finger out. She pouted at him, and he pulled her closer, sitting up against the bed as she sat in his lap. He kissed her agressively, bruising her lips. She moaned again, and he placed his hands on her hips, guiding her over his erection. She slowly eased herself onto it, allowing her body to adjust to the sudden invasion. She moved experimentally, and he moaned in response. She rocked her hips against his, picking up the pace. She put her hands against the headboard on either side of Hatori's head, in order to remain balanced as she thrusted against him. She came first, biting her lip to prevent herself from screaming. He thrusted against her harder, desperate for his release. He put his hands on her waist, guiding her against him as he grunted with each thrust of his hips.

"Isuzu..." He moaned. Rin pushed her hips against his with all her strength, and he came gasping her name. She rolled off of him, breathing heavily.

"Tori-nii..." She murmured, stretching out on his bed. He was leaning against his headboard, still panting, his eyes closed. He cracked an eyelid open, looking at her.

"Mm? Did you enjoy yourself?" He asked. Rin moved over to him, intertwining her body with his, resting her head against his chest and listening to his heartbeat. He put at arm around her shoulders, holding her closer.

"I love how you kept your stockings on." He laughed, eyeing the black stockings that ran from her feet to her mid-thighs. She pouted.

"There was no point in taking them off, Tori-nii."

"Don't be so serious. I didn't mind at all." He tucked a peice of hair behind her ear. Rin ran a finger from his neck to his waist, and she felt him grow hard against her.

"You've got stamina." She observed. Hatori said nothing, pushing her back against the bed for another round.

* * *

Rin spent that evening at Hatori's house, and, after they had gotten dressed, she allowed him to examine her to see how she was recovering. He had her sit down on the bed as he pulled out his medical kit.

"I'm your doctor first." He had reminded her, and she let him check her breathing and heartbeat, and run his fingers over her stomach. He ran his hands up to her throat, intending to check to see if anything was inflamed. She pulled away immediately, curling into a ball and putting her arms over her face to protect herself.

"Isuzu, what's-" He stopped, remembering one evening during which her parents had been particularly harsh on her. He had recieved a panicked call from Shigure, and rushed over to care for Rin's wounds. He said nothing when he saw the deep purple bruises on her neck, and for the next few days her mother dressed her in turtlenecks and scarves to cover the damage.

"Isuzu, I'm not going to hurt you." He assured her. They had had problems like this before. Years ago, before she stopped coming in for check-ups alltogether, if he brushed her in a certain way, she would get scared and refuse to let him examine her further.

Hatori reached a hand out to touch her shoulder. She was shaking, and he could hear soft whimpers. "Isuzu..." He placed his hand on her shoulder. She stiffened for a moment before leaning against him. He wrapped his arms around her quivering body, stroking her hair and trying to get her to calm down. She eventually did, and lifted her tearstained face from her arms.

"I'm sorry Tori-nii." She said quietly, rubbing tears from her eyes. Hatori kissed the top of her head gently before pronouncing her in good health, and encouraging her to eat more. She nodded, acceping but not agreeing to his suggestions. At that point, Hatori recieved a phone call telling him that Akito was requesting his presence. Hatori kissed Rin goodbye before rushing out the door. Rin exited his house feeling somewhat more fufilled then she had entered it. Her entire body was singing.

_'He cares, he cares, he cares.'_ She could have laughed out loud had she not been in public. She sighed happily as she left the compound, heading back to Kagura's home.

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**Yay fluffy lovey bits! :D**

**See you next time! Reveiws are loved.  
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	9. Chapter 9

**Update, update, update. We may be finished soon. Who knows? I don't.  
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The next few weeks were some of Hatori's most enjoyable since being with Kana. He and Rin smartly kept their relationship secret, even to the extent of letting Shigure think they were still avoiding each other. Nobody was trusted except each other. They no longer risked meeting at Hatori's house. Rather, they would plan to see eachother somewhere far enough from the compound that they wouldn't risk being caught. They would enjoy a meal, or see a movie, or just go on a walk. Hatori allowed himself to think that this was what a normal relationship was like. Rin pretended that it wasn't all doomed from the start.

It was one afternoon in the park that Rin finally decided it was time to discuss it. They were sitting under a tree, Hatori's head resting in her lap, his eyes closed against the sun. Despite it being November, the day was oddly warm. Children were bouncing about the nearby playground, celebrating the last of the warm fall days. Mothers sat on benches, chatting and occasionally handing their child a cheese stick or a carrot. Rin sighed. She stroked Hatori's hair, and his eyes fluttered open. He studied her face, surprised.

"Were you sleeping?" Rin asked him. "I didn't mean to wake you."

"It's fine." Hatori reached up a hand to touch her face. She smiled. It was the little things like that that reassured her that he cared.

"Tori-nii... what are we going to do?" She asked softly. They had been dancing around the subject ever since that evening at Hatori's house.

"Ah..." Hatori sighed, and then sat up. He leaned against the tree next to her. She leaned her forehead against his shoulder, and he absentmindedly stroked her hair. "Isuzu... I don't know." He said quietly. He looked over at the children, doing the usual once-over he did whenever he went there to make sure that none of them were Sohma children that could potentially report to their parents what they saw, and then, in turn, the parents reporting to Akito for the hopes of being in the family heads favor.

"Normal relationships aren't like this, Tori-nii. There isn't this secrecy. I feel like I'm your mistress or something.'The other woman.'" Rin told him.

"Is that what's been bothering you?" Hatori said quietly. "You feel second-best to Akito?"

Rin scowled, and looked away from him.

"It's not like that, Isuzu." He grasped one of her hands with his. "You're not second-best."

"It's not just that. This is bad. What we're doing is bad." She looked distressed. "Akito will find out eventually, and we both know it."

"I won't let Akito hurt you, I promise." Hatori was suddenly painfully aware of the scar on her back that his hand was resting on.

"It's not just that, Akito will hurt you too!" She reached up, touching the area above his damaged eye lightly. Hatori shook his head.

"You don't need to worry about me. What happened to my eye was my fault."

"No it wasn't, and you know it! You and Shigure, you're both always defending Akito, and letting the blame fall on yourselves! It's this stupid curse, Hatori! We need to break it!" Rin was getting hysterical, her voice rising in volume as she spoke.

"Shh, shh..." People were starting to look over, wonder what was wrong. "Rin, love, things will be okay..." he paused. "I promise."

"People never keep their promises." Rin muttered quietly. Hatori pretended not to hear her.

* * *

Rin was late getting back to Kazuma's house that evening. Kazuma was already drinking his after-dinner tea, gazing out the window at the garden.

"Welcome back, Isuzu." He said. Rin nodded in response, tugging at her skirt. She always felt like Kazuma could see right through her. It made her somewhat uncomfortable, but she had slowly grown used to it in her time spent living at his house. One of the risks of living with Kazuma was that every now and then, she would see Haru walking through the gardens, heading to or from the dojo. They had seen eachother once, Rin standing in the window, Haru taking a drink of water from his water bottle as he walked home from the dojo. Their eyes had connected. Haru had slowly lowered the water bottle, wiping at his mouth before nodding in greeting at her. Rin just stared at him, frozen. It was the first time since they had seen eachother since the 'accident', and Rin was still unsure of how she felt about Haru.

"Isuzu?" Rin jumped as Kazuma lightly touched her shoulder.

"What?" She demanded.

"I was asking if you're hungry. We could heat something up for you. Have you eaten today?"

"I- I got something to eat while I was out." She said quietly.

"I'm glad you're eating by your own will." Kazuma smiled at her, and suddenly she felt sick to her stomach. She ran to the bathroom, slamming the door and shoving her hair out of the way as she vomited into the toilet.

_'Kind people...people like Tohru, like Kazuma, like Haru... like Hatori...'_ She gasped for breath before her stomach spasmed, and she heaved again into the toilet._ 'What are they doing with a person like me?'_

"Isuzu... Isuzu, are you okay? Should I call Hatori?" Kazuma's worried voice was at the door. Rin tried to say 'no', but all that came out was a sob. "Isuzu, I'm coming in." Rin heard the door open, and then felt a hand on her back. Kazuma very, very gently touched her hair. Rin continued leaning against the toilet seat, which Kazuma took as consent. He held her hair back as she heaved again, this time with nothing coming up.

"Kazuma..." Rin whimpered.

"Shh, child, it's going to be okay. I'm going to call Hatori. Was there any blood?" He asked, kneeling on the floor next to her. Rin shook her head. The metallic taste from blood was not present in her mouth.

"Don't call Tori-nii." She told Kazuma, grabbing onto his wrist as he made to walk away to call Hatori. "I'm fine, I just felt a little sick."

Kazuma looked dubiously at her. "If you say so. Tell me if it gets any worse, though, okay?" He pressed a hand against her forehead. "You're a little warm, maybe you just got too much sun today. Go to bed, we can't have you missing too much school." Rin nodded. "I'm going to bed now. Get me if you need something." Rin nodded again. Kazuma touched her head lightly, a little sign of affection, and then exited the bathroom. Rin got up and brushed her teeth, getting rid of the acidic tang of vomit.

* * *

The next morning, Rin ran a comb through her hair as she stepped into a modest pair of heels. She straightened her uniform and glanced into the mirror, doing a once-over of her appearance. Her face was still a little too pale to look healthy, but it was too late to worry about that.

As she walked to school, she saw a familiar group of people standing on the sidewalk. Haru, Kyo, Tohru, Yuki, Momiji, and Kisa were all standing there. They were obviously dropping Kisa off at school, based on the way Haru hugged her briefly. Rin had a short moment of panic, wondering how she was going to get into school without being seen by them. It was too late, though, when Tohru saw her and called her name.

"Isuzu-san!" She waved at her. Rin sighed, and then walked over to the group. She avoided Haru's gaze, instead, focusing on Kisa.

"Hello, Kisa-san." Kisa turned bright red.

"H-hello, Rin-san!" Kisa replied. Haru had once told Rin that Kisa admired her, even though Rin and Kisa never saw eachother very often. They had classes in different wings of the school, so there was never the chance of them running into eachother.

There was an awkward pause in the conversation, where Yuki stared at Haru intensely for a few seconds, and Haru in turn stared at his shoes. Even Tohru, who wasn't the most intuitive person, could pick up on the tension in the group.

_'Okay, Momiji might know about Tori-nii and I, they're pretty close...Yuki knows about Haru and I, Kyo, Tohru, and Kisa are totally clueless...'_ Rin thought. She jumped when Kisa tugged on her sleeve. Rin bit her lip. She must have learned that from Haru, who was forever tugging on people or touching them to get their attention.

"Rin-san, should we go in?" Rin swallowed, and nodded. Haru had taught her well. Kisa was going to grow up to be a kind person. Rin tasted bile on the back of her tounge, sickened by the whole situation. She took a deep breath of air, and then began heading up to the school with Kisa, resisting the temptation to glance over her shoulder and see if Haru was watching her go. Maybe he regretted what he did.

_'Forget him. You've got Tori-nii.' _

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* * *

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Hatori looked up as he heard a knock on his door.

"Akito wishes to see you." The maid informed him as he opened the door. He turned to go back inside and get his equipment, but she told him, "You won't be needing that."

Hatori's eyes widened. He should have realized. It was the head maid, one of Akito's most trusted.

_'Fuck.'_

"I need to make a call. I'll be there in a moment."

"This is urgent, Hatori-san."

"As is this call. It will only take a moment."

The maid glared at him disapprovingly. Hatori turned back into his house, his heart racing. He went to his room, and, after closing the door, dialed Kazuma's phone number. He picked up after the first ring.

"Hello?"

"Kazuma, it's Hatori. I can't talk very much now, but I need to tell you that, under no circumstances, should you let Isuzu leave the house this evening. If somebody comes to fetch her, hide her."

"Hatori-san, what's-"

"This could be a matter of life and death for her. Don't let her go near the main house. And most of all, don't tell Shigure anything." Hatori felt bad, betraying his own friend like that, but he knew that Shigure was not to be trusted. Even if he cared about the two of them very much, his goals were always priority.

"...I'm trusting you, Hatori-san."

"Thank you." Hatori hung up the phone, and left the room. He went to the front door, where the maid was still waiting.

"I'm ready."

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**C:**

**This will be interesting.**

**Reviews are appreciated.**


	10. Chapter 10

**I got a review!  
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Hatori stood outside of the door to Akito's room, trying his best to remain calm. The head maid had lead him there, and then had informed him that Akito would see him when ready. He jumped as the door slid open to reveal Akito standing there, a smirk on her face.

"Come in, Hatori."

Hatori swallowed, and then followed her into the room. He couldn't help but notice how Akito slid the door shut behind him. "Have a seat, Hatori." Akito gestured towards the small cushion in the center of the room. Hatori knelt on it. "You've been misbehaving, haven't you? Prancing around with that slut." Akito spat. "The stupid horse."

Hatori remained silent. His heart was racing. He took a couple deep breaths.

"Well?" Akito shouted. Hatori was now visibly shaking. Memories of his last encounter with an angry Akito stuck with him, and suddenly, his eye hurt just as much as before, and his heart felt heavy with the memory of Kana. He swallowed, trying to prevent tears from leaking out of his eye. He heard movement, and clenched his eyes shut, preparing for whatever pain was sure to come. He instead felt a gentle hand on his head, and opened up his eyes, gazing up at the family head.

"A- Akito." He said, his voice quavering. She glared at him as he reached a hand toward her. She shoved the hand away.

"Well?" She said. Hatori looked at her, confused.

"What were you doing?" Akito suddenly screamed. "You're mine!" She whipped a dagger out of her kimono, slashing Hatori across the chest. Blood immediately blossomed across his pressed white shirt. It dripped from his chest as he stared at the cut, not yet registering the pain or the fact that it had happened at all. Then, white-hot. He gasped, pressing a hand against his wound. The feeling was familiar, except instead of in his eye, in was now in his chest. Akito kicked at him, and pain shot through his body. Hatori fell to the floor, lying on his side. Through his pain-hazed vision, he could see tears in Akitos eyes. She dropped the bloody dagger beside him, before striding over to open the door.

"Deal with him." Akito ordered. "And find me the horse."

"Of course." Shigure replied.

Hatori's eyes widened, his heart pounding before he blacked out.

* * *

That afternoon, Kazuma came to pick Rin up after school. She walked over, wondering what was wrong. Kisa followed after her, curious as well. Kazuma greeted Kisa, and then turned to Rin.

"Something has happened." He said. Rin looked unperturbed.

"What?" Rin asked. She saw the car pulled up behind Kazuma. She couldn't help but feel a little irritated. She had been planning to get out of school, maybe spend some time at Shigure's house for a while, before making a call to Hatori and see if they could meet up somewhere. She had been looking forward to that, especially after a long, difficult day at school.

"Hatori called me. He told me that it was very urgent that I keep you hidden and safe. I think somethin-" He stopped talking abruptly when Rin paled.

"Kazuma, I can't come. I need to go to the main house." She turned on her heel, intending to run to where Hatori's house was.

_'Akito knows.'_

"Rin, I can't let you do that." He grabbed onto her wrist. "Either you come with me back to my house, or... well, I don't really want to think about that."

"You're going to have to." She tugged at him, but his grip was firm. "Let me go!" She yelled.

"I'd rather not have to, but I can knock you out very easily and very painlessly." Kazuma said. Rins eyes widened. Kisa put a hand to her mouth, tears in her eyes. Kazuma continued to hold onto Rin."I'm not going to hurt Rin, I promise. Go home." Rin wondered who he was talking to for a moment, before remembering that the young tiger was standing at her side.

Kisa stared at him for a moment, and then nodded, turning on her heel and running. Almost all the Jyuunishi trusted Kazuma. He was one of the few Sohmas that knew about the curse that treated them like human beings. Rin watched as Kisa ran home.

"Tori-nii... he's in danger." Rin rasped. Tears were streaming down her face. The arm he was holding was shaking violently, causing her bracelets to jingle together in a noise too festive for the moment.

"I know. Come on, we can talk about this when we get back to my home." He coaxed. Rin shook her head.

"But..." She whispered.

"Child." Rin flinched at the endearment. "Hatori wanted to make sure you were safe. Remember, he is very valuble to Akito. Hatori will not be seriously harmed. You, on the other hand, are hated by Akito. He would be a lot more willing to injure you seriously."

Rin stood still for a moment, and then nodded, sliding into the backseat of the car. Kunimitsu was sitting in the drivers seat, and Kazuma took the passenger seat. Rin looked questioningly at the two of them.

"We weren't sure if you would need to be restrained." Explained Kunimitsu. Rin looked surprised for a moment, and then looked resigned to the fact that people though, no, knew, that she was untrustworthy. She gazed out the window as they drove, watching the buildings being replaced by trees and the people walking becoming more and more sparse. Her vision was blurred by tears, and knowing that nobody was looking at her, she let them fall unchecked. It was not until they arrived at the dojo that she wiped them away, putting on a brave face for the world.

* * *

He dreamt of Rin.

As he drifted through unconscious oblivion, he felt her hand stroke his head, and her voice whisper in his ear. When he finally awoke, he was suddenly aware of the tears running down his face.

"Ha-san, I'm glad you're finally awake." A familiar, male voice said. Hatori blinked, trying to raise his arm to shield himself from the bright light. It felt heavy, and lifted up a few inches before it fell back into it's original place. He heard a soft 'click' as the lamp shining in his face was turned off, and he looked around. He was in the hospital. It was nighttime, and Shigure was sitting beside his bed.

"I can't believe you." Hatori spat. His words were slurred from pain medication, but they still held the intended amount of venom.

"We both know that disobeying Akito is impossible. It will take me a while to find out where Rin is, but I will find her." Shigure's pasted-on smile faded. "I wish I didn't have to."

Hatori looked away from Shigure, not being able to even handle looking at his childhood friend. He noticed the clock. "How long have I been out?"

"About 9 hours. The cut was pretty shallow, so it didn't get any internal organs, but it still needed to be stitched up. You got surgery and everything." Shigure explained.

Hatori stared at the bandages on his chest. He placed a large hand on them, as though trying to obscure the new wound with unmarred hands. He spread them out, feeling the soft cloth of the bandage. Shigure followed the movement with his eyes, saying nothing. Hatori closed his eyes. Moments later, Shigure jumped when he laughed softly.

"What?" Shigure asked, wondering if Akito had hurt Hatori's head as well.

"No, it's just..." Hatori's eyes opened, and he looked over at Shigure. "This is what happened last time, right? I was happy, and then I got hurt..." Hatori trailed off. They were both thinking the same thing. Wondering if Rin would follow in the foodsteps of Kana, blame herself and fall prey to the same madness that overtook Kana in her final days with Hatori.

"Rin's..." Shigure thought for a moment. "Rin is stronger then Kana. She's been through a lot. She knows how to handle herself." Hatori looked unconvinced. "I'm sure of it." Shigure added, as though the last little bit would make Hatori think differently.

"I think I know why she never eats." Shigure said, clearly attempting to change the subject. "This hospital food is terrible." He pushed away the plate of food that was intended for Hatori, a couple bites taken out of a rather grey pile of mashed potatoes. Hatori blinked at him, and Shigure realized that they were beyond the joking stage at this point. Shigure had betrayed Hatori, and while Hatori had knowing it was always a possibility, it never occured to him that it would ever hurt anybody other then himself. Knowing that somebody was going to be injured other then him had raised the stakes. Shigure swallowed, the awkwardness of the situation filling the small room until it became too much.

"Well, I'm off." Shigure said, getting up and putting his chair aside. Hatori watched his movement sleepily.

"You're going to find Isuzu, aren't you?" Rather then acting hysterical, he was actually rather calm given the situation. Shigure looked down at the chair he was holding, thinking for a moment. He finally nodded, and Hatori closed his eyes briefly before looking into Shigure's eyes.

"She's going to die." Hatori said. He knew that it would change nothing. Even if Shigure wasn't determined for the break of the curse, he would still have been unable to disobey. Doing anything against 'god' was always out of the question.

"Most likely." Shigure admitted. More then he'd like to show, he was fond of his younger cousin, with her trailing black hair and one-minded determination. It pained him to play such a part in her early demise.

"If she dies, I will kill you." Hatori said. It sent a shiver down Shigure's spine, how he said it. It was so matter-of-fact, so cold, so clinical. Like how he had been before Kana. Like the times when he had shut himself down and thrown him into working, hiding behind piles of books or papers, drowning himself in facts so there was no room for emotion.

"May the best man survive." Shigure said quietly. He wasn't sure if Hatori had heard him, or if he was even awake. Hatori's eyes were shut when he glanced over his shoulder as he left the room, exiting the hospital in search of the missing horse.

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**i know, not very long. lots of action, though.  
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